Windshield wiper guard



March 2, 1954 Q F. R. BEAN 2,670,493

WINDSHIELD WIPER GUARD Filed Aug. 13 1951 sure of the blade upon the glass.

Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Q l f I 2,670,493

WINPSHIELD WIPER GUARD i Fields R. Bean, Del Mar, Calif. Application August 13, 1951, Serial N0. 241,560

.2 4*Qlaims. (Cl. 255) This invention relates to windshield wipers, and

'more particularly relates" to an attachment which may be added to automobile windshield wipers of conventional construction to protect/them when not in operation.

p Modern automobiles are usually provided with windshield wipers which'sweep in half circles upwardly from the lower margin of the windshield and which have thin, elongated rubber blades mounted in metallic backing to hold them longitudinally rigid. When the motivating power', which may be either electric or pneumatic, is cut off, the wipers return to positions at one end of their half-circle sweeps and in contact with the lower frame of the windshield pane. In these positions the wipers may remain for long periods 'of time, and in hot weatherthe rubber may melt to theglass, or frame and in cold weather it may freeze thereto, making it dif- -or frame at the returnwor non-operational end of the half -cirole stroke, therebypreventing melting, freezing, or distorting pressure on the rubber blade when the wiper is not in use.

A further object-of this invention is to provide a simple inexpensive attachment for the purpose stated, which maybe attachedto all known .types of windshield wiper blades. 1

Another object of this invention is to provide a lifting attachment for a windshield wiper blade which lifts the bladeat the endof the blade stroke and which normallylifts itself out of contact with the glass during the strokeso as not to scratch the glass or-reduce the sweeping pres- Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary metallic bladefor cutting ice from-a windshield.

To accomplish the: above-objects and others which will be hereinafter apparenm my invention broadly comprises a light spring wire and a pair' of 'clips'or slides which attach the ends of the wire to the metalbacking of the wiper blade. 'The' ends' of the wire are held rdtatably in the cIips and the-central portion of the wire is bent outwardly so as to extend beyond the rubber blade when the wire and the blade are in substantially parallel planes. The clips'and'wire 2 ends are so formed as to place the wire under torque as it is moved towards a plane parallel to the blade, thereby permitting the wire to approach closely to such a plane only when under lateral pressure and causing it to swing from its extended position beyond the rubber blade when lateral pressure is removed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrative of a presently preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 shows my attachment attached to a conventional windshield wiper blade with the Wire extending beyond the blade in a plane substantially parallel thereto as if responsive to lateral pressure, the viewpoint being from that side of a blade toward which the blade moves when its motivating power is cut off;

Fig. 2, from the same viewpoint as Fig. 1, shows the wire extended at an angle to the blade in the position assumed when lateral pressure on the wire is removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and on an enlarged scale, the wire also being shown in dotted line in the position of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view from above of a wiper blade at the end of its downward sweep, contiguous automobile parts being shown, and the blade being shown as separated therefrom by my attachment; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the plane of section 5-5 ofFig. 4.

Having reference to the details of the drawmg I have shown a windshield wiper blade 9 of ordinary construction, having a flexible rubber wiper orsqueegee Ii] held in a rigid backing member II and pivotallyattached by a locking member IE to an operating arm l3. It will be ,understood that the wiper blade e is swung arcuillustration, the wiper blade 9 is swung through an upward half-circle terminating at or adjacent to the lower frame member M of a windshield l5 (Figs. 4 and 5).

To the backing member H are secured spaced clips 16 and H which as illustrated are channelled slides adapted to slide over the ends of the member H and to be held by frictional engagement therewith but they may be pressedon or secured tothe member I l in any suitable manner. Each of the clips l6 and I! has a pair of we the pi.

side of theclips' It and :1 toward which the blade 9 moves when its motivating power is out ch.

A wire 29, of some springiness and toughness and preferably rustproof, such as thematrialof a wire fishing leader, has its ends 2| and '22 retatably held in the bearings l9. As shown, the Wire ends 2! and 22 are convergently inserted" through the bearings l9 to better maintain the clips l5 and I! in suitable spaced relationship, betihe p aripusl may extend s e T M p ion 29:6} th'wir 29 is" offsetfrom thefihgpmerit of the efing Is; the offsets being of sufli cie'rit lefigth to p'iinit the Dbiftidn is to swingit o sdsihbaj which it extends in the S ms general dre ses as the squeegee it but projects beyorid tlle working e ge of the squeegee and "is s'fibstai 'i'ally 'fia'rallel to the squeegee. Wli'r'i the wirf approaches the above-described ficsi'tioh', in Solid line in Fig 3, the oifsets come into contact with the dill, rid due to their springine'ss they 7 1; y but will tend to urge the wire g'b'ack toward the lateral position shown e n ig, 3 in which it lies outwardly e in: which the squeegee 19' nor-- filall'y' movs tha't is, the plane surface of the windshield i5. Qne end; of the wire 20", which be the 'efn'd 2|, isorfset so as to be brought imp contact with the cli s as the central portion 23 swings to the aforesaid lateral position, thus lirnitingthe swing of the central portion to ari n'guIar relationship withthe' blade 9 which the central wire portion 29 will' have a slight 'cl''arahbe from the Windshield I 5 but will come into contact with the windshield frame 14 9 pii baeh ths tra s: f V

t. i n of m wi ls i w guard entirel shipm nt W 'n t e a e 9 is ilig'thiouglr its arc; the central parties 23 of he w r 29. sh d b t e nqs c ic sets" 24 "and offset end" 21 iii the: lateral position in which it i Sli htly spaced nfom the windshield l9. When? the motivating power fGr the blade 9 isishu t dd and the blade nibv es to itsinactive ion at the end of are of traverse, the In l v'vir'e portion- 23 makes Contact with the frame t4 and is pressed thereby to the projected pos on shown in Fig 5". In this position it exten s beyqrfd the squeegee HT and lifts the 'gmff from the windshield T5. The squeegee lirVhted from either melting or freeziigi t e windshield while ina'ctivel- On the other hand, ifsnow or ice builds up upon the windshield to the slightdepth necessary to reajclr the lateral position of the central wire fidrtion 23, the wire will react to the snow or ice sre'ssqr during movement in onearcuate' direcfitn ss if in Contact with the Windshield frame, and will lift the squeegee from the glass and will itself scrape the glass like a knife blade. On the opposite stroke of the blade 9 the wire will return to its lateral position, permitting the squeegee to wipe the shaved snow or ice from the glass"; The guard thereby acts as an auxiliary blade in the dangerous ice or snow conditions set forth.

It is to be understood that modifications may be made in my invention without departure from its spirit, and I desire to have the scope of my invention considered as not limited to the specific showing herein but as coextensive with the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a windshield wiper having an elongated blade arranged for lateral arcuate movement to and" f-r onf'a position which one side of said blade is substantially contiguous to a frame portion of a windshield: an elongated member having its endsrotatably secured to said blade and seems pbrtion offset from said ends so as to he in ail-extended position beyond the edge of said blade when said member is rotated to a plane srmmifig such extension, said member thenlifting said blade from said windshield; and resilient means urging said member to a position in, which saidcentral portion of saidmembereite ius laterally frgr'n said one side off said ad an is s tl vl 's' i he" Renew when h las d m s'; sai ans needs to permitsai'd member to rotat'eto said extended position, whereby lateral pressure of said frame port onagainst; said member causes said me her to assume said elstendedpo'sition; 4 I

2.'In 9; ii shieldwiper avi 'igjan eiong' ted sf h' if 1 'r' i s ld o was jsv nm' m vement r'si'l v, Contact; with a plane surface: h' as gs i dibs' same-ee blade; an auxiliary blag" mount in said p arings androtatable bet 1 position substant al- M ud no alam ba laiii 'whw the edge'o'f said auiiili'arybla'de extends slightly beyond the plane which the'edg e of saidprincipal blade operates and apositihn inclined to said prinbipal blade' in which the meet: said b faring urge said interrln diat h ant A mitting contactofsai q feegewitfi said With!- sh i N fl. is guard far" a} i es ld wiser mess cemii iea ia' i j fi bfh, ne 6 rtions i set from amiss, lfl' Eerie-"dietitian: aii'ngs ior'sa po'rti fls atta'chabl'etoisaid blade b as to permit; s 1 smear ponies-to swingsian nd j' Yon'd the workiii'g' edge or said and resilient-means urging said central por I to swing'to' a pbsi'tion' slightly retracted from the p ane as which said blade" edge is norheadstone-sirens;

References ited} in the file of patent s me sisters Berge qq;y Z, 

